Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Switzerland on Saturday to crack down on Russian oligarchs who he mentioned have been serving to to wage struggle on his nation from the protection of “stunning Swiss cities.”
In an audiolink tackle to 1000’s attending an anti-war protest in Bern, Zelenskyy thanked Switzerland for its help since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, but in addition had clear language concerning the Swiss monetary sector.
“Your banks are the place the cash of the individuals who unleashed this struggle lies. That’s painful. That can also be a battle in opposition to evil, that their accounts are frozen. That may even be a battle, and you are able to do this,” he mentioned by way of a translator.
“Ukrainians really feel what it’s when cities are destroyed. They’re being destroyed on the orders of people that dwell in European, in stunning Swiss cities, who get pleasure from property in your cities. It will actually be good to strip them of this privilege.”
Impartial Switzerland, which isn’t a member of the European Union, has totally adopted EU sanctions in opposition to Russian people and entities and frozen their wealth in Swiss banks.
The federal government has not supplied a determine for the way a lot wealth is roofed by the freeze. Switzerland’s secretive banks maintain as much as $213 billion of total Russian wealth, the nation’s monetary trade affiliation estimates. Learn full story
Zelenskyy additionally took a swipe at Swiss-based companies that proceed to function in Russia, singling out meals group Nestle NESN.S and accusing it of not dwelling as much as its “Good Meals, Good Life” slogan.
Requested to touch upon Zelenskyy’s remarks, a Nestle spokesperson mentioned the corporate totally complies with all sanctions and had scaled again its operations in Russia, together with stopping all imports and exports of non-essential meals objects.
“Persevering with to produce important objects to folks in Russia doesn’t imply we proceed doing enterprise as normal within the nation,” the spokesperson mentioned, noting that the corporate had halted investments and product promotions and was not making any revenue there.
— Reporting by Arnd Wiegmann; Writing by Michael Shields